Epilepsy: Attitude and Awareness among Students of Professional Social Work
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12724/ajss.25.5Keywords:
Epilepsy, Social, Cultural, Psychological and economic effects, Medical social work, Psychiatric social workAbstract
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders that affect approximately 50 million peopleworldwide, with the prevalence of 1% in the population.Nearly 80% of people with epilepsy are found indeveloping countries, where the disease remains a majorpublic health problem. It is not only because of its healthimplications but also for its social, cultural, psychologicaland economic effects. The person with epilepsy goesthrough many difficulties such as unpredictability of theseizures, adjustmental demands on personal and worklife, family coping, problems in marital relationship,issues surrounding children, economic burden, andstigma about the disease apart from the access totreatment. Managing a chronic illness such as epilepsyinvolves more than managing medical problems. Socialworkers, as change agents, can fulfil their roles aseducators, counsellors, and patient-advocates by helpingpatients and families to gain insight into the implicationsof chronic illness. The present cross sectional study wasconducted among the Master of Social Work (MSW)students specialising in Medical and Psychiatric SocialWork, with an attempt to look at the Knowledge and Attitude about Epilepsy. Thirty one students of Master ofSocial Work course with Medical and Psychiatric SocialWork (males = 9; females = 22; age = 23.61, range 22-28years) from different colleges in South India filled thequestionnaire developed to assess the knowledge andattitudes about Epilepsy. All the respondents had heardabout Epilepsy. The study revealed that while there isgood awareness about Epilepsy among the students,majority of them felt that persons with Epilepsy shouldhave restrictions in movement (84%) and that they havelimitations in employment (58%). The implications of thestudy from knowledge development, research andpractice are discussed.
References
Agarwal, P., Mehndiratta, M.M., Antony, A.R., Kumar, N., Dwivedi, R.N.,
Sharma, P., and Kumar S. (2006). Epilepsy in India: Nuptiality
behavior and fertility. Seizure 15:409–415.
Agarwal, A.K. (2008). Social classification: The need to update in the
present scenario. Indian Journal of Community Medicine 33:50–1.
Blume, W.T., Luders, H.O., Mizrahi, E., Tassinari, C., Emde Boas, W. &
Jerome Engel Jr. (2001). Glossary of ictal semiology. Epilepsia, Vol.42,
No. 9, pp. 1212-1218
Buck, D., Jacoby, A., Baker G.A. and Chadwick, D. (1997). Factors
influencing compliance with antiepileptic drug regimes. Seizure. 6:87–
Collings, J. (1990). Psychological well-being and Epilepsy. Epilepsia 31:418
-442
Crawford, P., Appleton, R., Betts, T. et al. (1999). Best practice guidelines
for the management of women with epilepsy. Seizure 8: 201–217.
Available on line at http://www. idealibrary.com
Dansky, L.V., Andermann, E., and Andermann F. (1980). Marriage and
fertility in epileptic patients. Epilepsia 21:261–271
DeBoer HM . Overview and perspective of employment in people with
epilepsy. Epilepsia 2005; 1(46)2- 4.
Dodrill CB, Breyer DN, Diamond MB, Dubinsky BL and Geary BB (1984)
Psychosocial Problems among adults with Epilepsy. Epilepsia 25: 168 –
Dodrill, C.B., Beier, R., Kasparick, M., Tacke, I., Tacke, U. And Tan, SY.
(1984). Psychosocial problems in adults with epilepsy: Comparison of
findings from four countries. Epilepsia 25: 176–83.
Goel, D., Dhanai, J.S., Agarwal, A.K., Mehlotra, V. And Saxena, V.(2011).
Knowledge, attitude and practice of epilepsy in Uttarakhand, India.
Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology 14:116–9.
Gopinath, M., Sarma, P.S,. and Thomas, SV. (2011). Gender-specific
psychosocial outcome for women with epilepsy. Epilepsy and Behaviour
(1):44-7.
Gourie Devi, M., Singh, V. and Bala, K. (2010). Knowledge, Attitude and
Practice among patients of epilepsy attending tertiary hospital in
Delhi, India and review of Indian studies. Neurology Asia 15:225–32.
Hermann BP, Whitman, S. (1984). Behavioral and personality correlates of
epilepsy: a review, methodological critique, and conceptual model.
Psychol Bull. 95:451–97.
Hills ,MD. (2007). The psychological and social impact of epilepsy.
Neurology Asia. 12(S1):10-12.
Jacoby A, Austin, J. (2007). Social stigma for adults and children with
epilepsy. Epilepsia. 9(48)69.
Jacoby A (2002). Stigma, epilepsy, and quality of life. Epilepsy & Behavior .
(6, Supplement 2):10-20
Jacoby, A., Gorry, J. And Baker, G.A. (2005). Employers' attitudes to
employment of people with epilepsy: still the same old story?
Epilepsia. 46(12):1978-87.
Jain, S. and Chandra, P.S. (2008). Epilepsy: A comprehensive textbook. In:
Engel J Jr, Pedley TA, (Eds) Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (2). New
York: Cambridge University Press. 2885 – 2889
Johnson, EK. Jones, JE., Seidenberg, M., and Hermann, BP. (2004). The
relative impact of anxiety, depression, and clinical seizure features on
health-related quality of life in epilepsy. Epilepsia; 45(5):544-50
Lau, VW, Y., Lee, T M C, Ng, P K K and Wang, V C N. (2001) Psychosocial
adjustment of people with epilepsy in Hong Kong. Epilepsia 42: 1169 –
Leonardi, M. and Ustun, T.B (2002). The global burden of epilepsy.
Epilepsia. 43 (Suppl. 6):21–5.
Mensah, SA., Beavis, JM., Thapar, AK., and Kerr, MP.(2007). A
community study of the presence of anxiety disorder in people with
epilepsy. Epilepsy and Behavior 11(1):118-24.
Mensah, SA., Beavis, JM., Thapa,r AK., and Kerr, MP. (2006). The presence
and clinical implications of depression in a community population of
adults with epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior.8(1):213-9.
National Association of Social Workers. (2004).NASW Standards for
Social Work Practice in Palliative and End of Life Care.. Washington,
DC
Osborne, Shafer, P., and Dean, P. (2003). Clinical challenges for learning,
behavior and mood in children with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behavior. 4: 98-
Pahl, K. and De, Boer, H.M. (2005). Atlas: epilepsy care in the world.
Geneva: WHO, Epilepsy and Rights; 72–3.
Pandian, J.D., Santosh, D., Kumar, T.S., Sarma, P.S. and Radhakrishnan, K.
(2006). High school students‟ knowledge, attitude, and practice with
respect to epilepsy in Kerala, southern India. Epilepsy & Behaviour
:492–7.
Perrine KR and Cognett S (1994) Neurobehavioral problems in Epilepsy.
Epilepsia 12: 129 – 152
Plioplys , S. (2003). Depression in children and adolescents with epilepsy.
Epilepsy & Behavior. 4 (Supplement 3):39-45.
Radhakrishnan, K., Pandian, J.D., Santoshkumar, T., Thomas, S.V.,
Deetha, T.D., Sarma, P.S., et al. (2000). Prevalence, knowledge, attitude
and practice of epilepsy in Kerala, South India. Epilepsia 41:1027–35
Rajaram, P and Thomas, P. T. (2009). Adult persons with Epilepsy –
Psychiatric Social Work Perspective. Roshni Journal of professional
Social Work. 5: 50 – 70.
Rambe, A.S. and Sjahrir, H. (2002). Awareness, attitudes and
understanding towards Epilepsy among school teachers in Medan,
Indonesia. Neurological Journal of Southeast Asia 7, 77 – 80
Robertson, M. M., Trimble, M. R. and D. R. A. Townsend. (1987).
Phenomenology of depression in epilepsy. Epilepsia 28, 364–372
Saburi, GL., Mapanga, K G and Mapanga, M B. (2006). Perceived family
reactions and quality of life of adults with epilepsy. Journal of
Neuroscience Nursing 38: 156 – 165
Santosh, D, Kumar, TS., Sarma, PS., Radhakrishnan, K. (2007). Women
with onset of epilepsy prior to marriage: Disclose or conceal? Epilepsia
:1007-10.
Scambler, G. and Hopkins, A. (1990). Generating a model of epileptic
stigma: the role of qualitative analysis. Social Science and Medicine
:1187–1194
Sridharan, R. And Murthy, B.N.(1999). Prevalence and pattern of epilepsy
in India. Epilepsia. 40:631–6
Thacker, AK. Verma, A.M., and Ji R, et al. (2008). Knowledge awareness
and attitude about epilepsy among schoolteachers in India.
Seizure.17:684-690.
Theodor, M, Margarete. P. (2005). Psycho educational program for
patients with epilepsy. Disease management and health outcomes;
(13):185-199.
Vinayan, K. P. (2006). Epilepsy, antiepileptic drugs and educational
problems. Indian Pediatrics, 43, 786-794. Retrieved from
http://www.indianpediatrics.net/sep2006/sep-786- 794.htm
Wada K, Iwasa H, Okada M, Kawata Y, Murakami T, Kamata A et al.
(2004). Marital status of patients with epilepsy with special reference
to the influence of epileptic seizures on the patient‟s married life.
Epilepsia 8(45):33-36.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2016 Artha - Journal of Social Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
